REVIEW: Citizen Jack #1

Timing is a funny thing. You either have it, or you don’t. If you have it you can dance the night away with a lovely companion; if not you are hanging out at the bar with all of the rest of the foot stompers. In comic book terms, timing relates to getting a book out that has some real life comparison, effectively striking while the iron is hot. In this case, we have former Minnesota Mayor, Jack Northworthy, running from his personal demons with the help of an actual demon and into the race to become the President of the United States.

Veteran writer Sam Humphries pens an almost anti-The West Wing, with Northworthy being as far removed from Bartlett as you could get. Still, funnily enough, this doesn’t make the character dislikeable. Instead, we are treated to a life lived for the past moments of glory, that when they fade, leave nothing in their wake other than the quiet desperation of the best of his life gone by. The dialogue is sharp and nicely executed, using the various cast of characters to push, drive, tempt and challenge Northworthy to step up to the mark.

Tommy Patterson, whose work has appeared in a number of books from Zenescope and Boom, is on art duties. His work here is highly detailed, similar to Pat Broderick’s run from Green Lantern from a few years back and Howard Chaykin’s Satellite Sam book. This style is different from his work in Zenescope, which kind of proves my theory, or at least points to a similar conclusion, which had previously fitted their house style. Here, it works, especially as the book is somewhat grounded in a real world, the demon notwithstanding.

I enjoyed this book for what it is trying to be. A selfish man, driven to proven his worth in the politic arena where the public may feel a little jaded with their real life counterparts, worrying what demons are helping them. It also works as a straight up satire piece, with the lack of integrity in the TV world taking centre stage, where common sense and insightful comments are ignored all for a quick quip and easy laughs. Whether you are interested in politics or not, this book could be a lot of fun, from the primary all the way to Super Tuesday.

About The Author

I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70’s. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow

Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, Green Lanterns and current The Definitive Crusader Jeopardy leader!

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